Traveling crane.



UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR E. EDWARDS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TQ MASSACHU TRAVELING CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 761,154, dated May 31, 1904.-

I if Application filed February 6, 1902. Serial N0. 92,786. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

. Be it known that I, VICTOR E. EDWARDS, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at -Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Traveling Cranes, of whichthe following is a specification, accompanied by drawings form- ,ing a part of the same, in, which Figure 1 represents a plan view of a travehng crane embodying my mvention. Fig. 2

is a side elevation of one of the central sections of the crane. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig.4 is aplan View of a pair of the lifting-fingers. and their connected actuatmg mechanism. Fig. 5 -1s.a side view of a series of liftingfingers with their connected actuating mechanism. Fig. 6 represents a side view of a pair of the posts forming the divisions between pockets to receive rods or bars. Fig. 7 is an edge view of one of the posts.

framework connecting the traveling carriers;

and Fig. 12 isa plan view of a portion of the lifting-frame.

Similar reference letters refer. to similar parts in the difiierent views.

My invention relates to certain improvements in a traveling crane; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented one of my improved traveling cranes in connection with a. conveyer arranged to conduct metal rods or bars lnto position to be lifted by the crane and with a series of pockets into which the rods are delivered, and my improved crane is especially adapted to :the purpose of lifting and transferring long rods or bars, which in my improved crane are supported. upon and lifted by rotatingfingers provided with laterally-projecting tips arranged to be carried beneath a rod or bar to be lifted by the rotation of the fingers, although other known forms of grappling mechanism for engaging'the article to be lifted may be employed. I

My improved traveling crane comprises a fixed elevated I framework supported upon posts A A and provided with transverse tracks -B, upon which travel the carriers C, each of tracks B are arranged at intervals along the elevated framework, and each of said tracks supports a carrier-frame C, suspended beneath the tracks B, each of the carriers being provided with its own driving-cable C and grooved drum D, attached to the main driving-shaft D. The ends of the driving-cables C are provided with screw threaded eyebolts O, which pass through the arms C and are provided with nuts C by which the driving cable is tightened, and the position of the carrier-frames C is adjusted to bring the several frames into alinement. The driving-shaft D is rotated in one direction to move the carrier-frames C in one direction, and it is reversed to move the carriersC in the opposite direction, and the shaft D is of sufiicient size to resist the torsional strain incident to the movement of the carriers C in order to cause theseveral carriers to maintain their alinement during their movement along the transverse tracks B. The suspended carrier-frames C are united at their lower ends by longitudinal bars G, upon which are mounted a motor-cylinder F and a series of rolls F. The cylinder F is provided with a pisanism, consisting of a motor-cylinder I, in-

closing a piston I and having its piston-rod I pivotally connected by links I with levers J, which are pivoted at one end at J and are connected at their free ends with cables J having their opposite ends connected to spiral springs J attached to the fixed framework. Attached at intervals to the cables J 2 are collars J provided with trunnions J journaled in the bifurcated ends of arms J which are attached to spindles J journaled in arms J rigidly attached to the framework Gr. The rotating spindles J are capable of a slight longitudinal movement in their journal-bear ings, and. they carry at their lower ends heads J provided with a groove J undercut on one side, as at J, to receive a horizontal bar H, which carries at its opposite ends the fingers H, bent vertically downward from the ends of the bar H, with the sections a of the fingers substantially parallel with their axis of rotation and far enough apart to receive between them the bar or rod to be lifted. At the ends of the sections a the fingers are extended laterally and obliquely downward, forming the tips a, with their ends separated to allow them as the fingers are lowered to pass downward upon opposite sides of the bar or rod to be lifted and by the rotation of the spindle J 7 be carried beneath the bar or red, so that the upward movement of the fingers will lift the rod. The horizontal bar H is held against the undercut side of the groove by means of set-screws H thereby allowing the fingers to be removed from the heads J Each-of the transverse, tracks B is provided with a stop-plate, one of which is shown at K, Fig. 3., by which the movement of the carriers C is limited in one direction, thereby determining the position of the carriers at one end of their travel or the position in which they are to pick up the rod or bar. The rod or bar to be lifted is brought into position to be engaged by the rotating fingers H by means of a series of rotating conveyerfl ered by moving the parallel bars F in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 5, thereby causing the fingers H to straddle the rod or bar held on the conveyer-rolls L. The fingerspindles J are thenrotatedabout one-quarter revolution in order to swing the laterallyprojecting tips a into the position shown at (f, Fig. 4:, thereby carrying the tips a beneath the bar supported on the conveyer-rolls L, so that when the fingers are again lifted by raising the lifting-frame G the bar will lie across the tips of the fingers in the position represented at M, Fig. 9, and be raised by the fingers. The traveling carrier-frames O are then moved along the transverse tracks B, carrying the suspended bar M over any one of a series of pockets N, into which it may be delivered by reversing the rotation of the fingers H. The pockets N are formed by a series of upright posts N,having their upper ends connected by an angle-plate N placed upon the tops of the posts with its apex uppermost. Each of the posts N consists at its lower end of a pair of bars 0 O, which are curved in opposite directions and attached to a horizontal beam P, so that each of the posts is braced against lateral displacement in both directions by the oppositely-curved bars 0 O.

The traveling cranes O are connected at their lower ends by a framework C, and provision is made for the deflection. of the bars comprising'the connecting-framework caused by the heat radiated from the heated rods or bars to be lifted by making the connectingframework C in sections and hinging the ends of the same toeach other and to the carrier-frames C, This is accomplished, as

"shown in Figs. 10 and 11, by forming overto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a traveling crane, the combination of an overhead track, a rigid depending frame provided with rolls at its upper end adapted to moveon said track, means for moving said frame along the track, a lifting mechanism consisting of a rigid frame, capable of vertical movement in said rigid depending frame, a rotating spindle in said vertically-moving frame and fingers carried by said spindle adapted to engage the article to be lifted, substantially as described.

2. In a traveling crane, the combination of a series of parallel overhead tracks, a series of rigid depending frames each provided with rolls adapted to run on said tracks, rigid connecting-bars by which the lower ends of said depending frames are united and means for moving said frames along said tracks, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a series of parallel overhead tracks and rolls running thereon, depending frames suspended from said rolls, means for connecting the lower ends of said frames and means for moving said frames individually along said tracks, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a series of parallel overhead tracks, rolls running on said tracks, depending frames suspended from said rolls, means for connecting the lower ends of said frames, means for moving said frames along said tracks and a lifting mechanism carried by the said connecting-frames, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a series of parallel overhead tracks, rigid depending frames supported by said tracks and capable of moving thereon, a rotating shaft, drums carried on said shaft corresponding to said frames, driving-cables attached at their ends to each of said frames and Wound about said drums, whereby the rotation of said shaft will move said frames simultaneously along said ways, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a series of parallel overhead tracks, rolls adapted to run on said tracks, rigid depending frames suspended from said rolls, rigid bars uniting the lower ends of said depending frames, a lifting mechanism carried by said depending frames, a

common driving-shaft and connecting operative mechanism between said shaft and said depending frames, whereby they are simultaneously moved along said tracks, substantially as described.

7 The combination with a series of overhead tracks, of a series of rigid frames adapted to be moved along said tracks, a frame for rigidly uniting said frames at their lower ends, whereby they are held from swaying sidewise, a lifting mechanism supported by said uniting-frame, and means for simultaneously moving the frames along said tracks, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a series of parallel overhead tracks, traveling frames arranged to be moved along said tracks, an actuating mechanism whereby said frames are simultaneously moved along said tracks, a framework for connecting the lower ends of said frames together and a lifting mechanism supported. by said connecting-framework, substantially as described.

9. The combination in a traveling crane with a series of tracks of a series of moving carrier-frames supported by, and dependent from said tracks, means for moving said carrier-frames simultaneously along said tracks, and a connectingframework uniting said carrier-frames and pivotally connected thereto in order to provide for the deflection caused by unequal heating, substantially as described.

10. In a traveling crane, the combination with a series of parallel overhead tracks, of a series of rigid carrier-frames moving thereon, jointed connecting-framework between said carrier-frames, a lifting mechanism supported on said framework and comprisingaseries of lifting devices for engaging the article to be lifted and a common actuating-motor, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a series of traveling carrier-frames, of a connecting-framework between said frames, a lifting mechanism supported by said framework and comprisinga rising-and-falling frame and vertical guides for said rising-and-falling frame, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a series of parallel overhead tracks and a series of carrier-frames moving thereon, of actuating mechanism for simultaneously moving said frames, a connecting framework between said carrierframes, vertical guides supported by said connecting-framework,avertically-movingframe between said guides and a series of lifting devices carried by said vertically-moving frame,

substantially as described.

13. In a crane,the combination with a traveling carrier frame, of a lifting mechanism comprising a rotating spindle and a pair of bent fingers carried by said spindle, whereby said fingers are simultaneousl y carried beneath the article to be lifted by the rotation of said spindle, substantially as described.

14:. The combination in a crane, of a risingand-falling frame, a spindle journaled in said frame, a pair of bent fingers carried on the end of said spindle and adapted to be carried beneath the article to be lifted by the rotation of said spindle and means controlled at will for rotating said spindle, substantially as described 15. In a crane, the combination of a pair of bent fingers adapted to be carried beneath the article to be lifted and a spindle carrying said fingers by which they are simultaneously rotated, said spindle being capable of a vertically-sliding movement, substantially as described.

16. In a traveling crane, the combination of a series of carrier-frames, means for simultaneously moving said frames, a lifting mechanism supported by said carrier-frames and comprising a series of lifting-fingers arranged 'in a line over. the article to be lifted and means for determining the position of the article to be lifted beneath said fingers, substantially as described.

17 The combination with a'series of overhead tracks, a series of carrier-frames moving thereon, a series of lifting-fingers supported by said carrier-frames, means for positioning the article to be lifted and a series of pockets ing mechanismsupported by said uniting- IO bars, and means for moving said depending frames along said tracks, substantially as described.

VICTOR E. EDWARDS.

VVitnesse's:

FL B. ED ARDS, RUFUS B. FOWLER. 

